It was my daughter Dixie’s first beach vacation, and nothing is better than the waters at Turks and Caicos. It’s warm and still and you can see the fish swimming past your toes. She absolutely loved it.

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You need your passport to visit Turks and Caicos. It’s such a short flight that it’s easy to forget.

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I would put my daughter down for a nap every day after lunch—the hotel has a health-food menu that is delicious, but they have good old-fashioned hamburgers and shepherd’s pie too—and nestle into the beach hammock and read. It was hidden away under some trees right next to the ocean.

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We had a pool in our villa at Parrot Cay and I would wake up and dive in! Dixie had taken swimming lessons this summer, so she absolutely loved it.

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I was reading All the Light We Cannot See. It was about a German boy and a young French girl during World War II and was one of the best books I’ve ever read. I highly recommend it!

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My mom bought Dixie this kite for her third birthday before we had even planned this trip. When we were packing I saw it in my daughter’s room and threw it in the suitcase. I’m so glad I did, because it was really fun to see my husband and daughter running up and down the beach with it.

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My official cocktail on the vacation was muddled lemons, strawberries, and mint with soda water and a splash of Patrón Silver. It was the perfect beach drink.

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Dixie is such a pro flier! We play games on the plane, and she loves looking out the windows. In this picture we were getting close to landing and she was seeing the crystal-clear water for the first time. It was very exciting!

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The sand at Parrot Cay is so soft and there are conch shells everywhere. Conch is actually one of the most common things you’ll find on the menu in Turks and Caicos.